Virginia

2010 exam dates and location(s)

The February 2010 Virginia bar exam will take place on Tuesday, February 23 and Wednesday, February 24 at the Norfolk Waterside Marriott. The July 2010 Virginia bar exam will take place on Tuesday, July 27 and Wednesday, July 28 at the Civic Center in Roanoke.

Subject matter (MBE subjects are in bold)

Agency, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Corporations, Creditor’s Rights, Criminal Law and Procedure, Domestic Relations, Equity, Evidence, Federal Practice and Procedure, Local Government Law, Partnerships, Personal Property, Professional Responsibility, Real Property, Sales, Suretyship, Taxation, Torts, Trusts, Uniform Commercial Code, Virginia Pleading/Practice/Procedure in law and equity (including appellate practice), and Wills and Estate Administration.

Structure

The Tuesday exam day consists of the written portion of the exam – nine essays (10 points each) and 20 short answers (½ of a point each). The Wednesday exam day consists of the MBE. The MBE is a 200 question multiple choice exam. 100 questions are asked in the morning over a three hour period, and 100 questions are asked in the afternoon over a three hour period. The MBE has 33 questions each for Contracts and Torts, and 31 questions each for Constitutional Law, Criminal Law and Procedure, Evidence, and Real Property. 190 of the 200 questions are graded, the other 10 are experimental. 200 questions over six hours averages out to 1.8 minutes per question.

Scoring

The Virginia exam score is comprised of 60% essay and 40% MBE. All examinee scores are scaled for fairness. Examinees must score a minimum of 140 to pass.

The Board requires candidates to score a minimum of an 85 on the MPRE. Candidates must achieve this score within the calendar year they pass the bar or two calendar years immediately preceding or following that year.

MPRE

The Board requires candidates to score a minimum of an 85 on the MPRE. Candidates must achieve this score within the calendar year they pass the bar or two calendar years immediately preceding or following that year.

Pass rate

Virginia’s pass rate for the July 2008 exam was 85% for first time takers, and 80% for all takers.

Other exam information

A laptop program is available to all interested applicants for a $125 fee.

Examinees must sign a pledge and write their essays in ink. Examinees are prohibited from bringing anything but a pen and pencil into the exam room. Note that examinees must wear a business suit to take the exam.

Bar examiner contact information

Application deadlines

The deadline for the February 2010 exam is December 15, 2009. The deadline for the July 2010 exam is May 10, 2010. THERE ARE NO LATE DEADLINES. The Board will not confirm receipt of an application over the phone. Virginia statute authorizes registered or certified mail delivery only, so if an application is mailed via this method and is timely postmarked, the Board will accept it. Virginia statute does not authorize any other form of delivery, however, so the Board will not accept after the deadline an application sent via any other mail delivery method even if timely postmarked. The Board accepts hand delivery, and recommends that applicants wishing to submit their application in this manner slide it under the door if the office is closed.

The Board mails written notice of receipt of applications and application status approximately six weeks after the submission deadline. The Board recommends that applicants use delivery confirmation or include in their application a self-addressed and stamped envelope or postcard if they wish to confirm receipt prior to that time.

Application fees

Applicants must pay a $275 exam fee in the form of a money order, cashier’s check, or certified check payable to the “Virginia Board of Bar Examiners.” Applicants must also pay a character investigation fee that ranges in amount from $175 to $325.

Forms

Applicants must submit an electronic copy of their application along with the printed copy. Applicants must notarize the printed copy.

Attachments

Before a candidate graduates, he or she must submit a certificate indicating his or her expectation of graduation. The certificate must be dated within 90 days of the application deadline. Once a candidate has graduated, he or she must submit a certificate of graduation. Candidates are required to submit fingerprints and two identical, unmounted, passport-style photos taken within the prior 12 months.

Character and Fitness considerations

Applicants must submit a completed questionnaire and pay a character investigation fee. Applicants must clear any credit problems prior to licensure. Applicant bankruptcy or felony conviction is not an absolute bar to admission but will be investigated by the Board.

Results

The Board releases results in late April for the February exam, and in mid to late October for the July exam. The Board posts the pass list by name on its web site at the same time it mails formal notice. The Board discloses exam scores to failing candidates only.

Professionalism Course

New attorneys must take a professionalism course conducted by the Virginia State Bar within the first year of admission.

*All state bar exam information is subject to change without notice; please verify this information with the bar examiner’s office.*